Apparatus for the manufacture of phosphoric acid and compounds of the same.



W. H. WAGGAMAN, H. BRYAN & C R. WAGNER.

CTURE 0F ruosruomc ACID AND COMPOUNDS OF THE SAME.

APPLICATION HLED HAR.I6.19H.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFA Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLILH WLGGAMLN, HARRY BRYAN, A ND CARY B. WAGNER, 0?

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WASHINGTON,

APPARATUS FOE THE MANUFACTURE OF PHOSPHORIC ACID AND COMPOUNDS OF THE BAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 191 "I.

Application filed larch 18, 1917. Serial No. 155,875.

(DEDICATED TO THE IUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. Wac- GAMAN, HARRY BRYAN, and CARY R. WAG-.

employees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to us of any royalty thereon. I I

Our invention relates ten new apparatus for making phosphoric acid and com ounds of the same, and has for its object e production of such products and compounds more expeditiously and less'expensively than heretofore.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations of arts as wil' be morefully hereinafter disc osed and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

In order that the precise invention may be more clearly understood and distinished from prior art, it is said: It is a well known fact that phosphoric acid may be volatilized from its compounds by. submitting an intimate mixture of coke, sand and thephosphate material to the action of high heat. It is generally believed, however, that the com etc or nearl complete evolution of the p osphoric aci cannot be efiected except at the high temperatures attainable only in the electric furnace. Since the electrical heating of low adematerials and the recovery thereby o relatively low priced products may, in some instances be commercially impracticable it is hi 'y desirable that such material he hand ed in a furnace where the cost of making the desired product is much cheaper than in an electric furnace. Althou h it has been stated that phosphoric aci can only be partially freed fromits com ounds in a fuel heated shaft furnace of t e ordinary blast furnace type, the inventors have found that 90 per cent. or more of phosphoric acid can be volatili'zed from mixtures of phosphate rock, silica,and coke at temperatures far below those attained in a blast furnace and concluded therefore that it was only neces sar to employ a modified type of furnace an adjust the working conditions in order to obtain a high yield of phosphoric acid by means of fuel and ahot blast.

The furnace described in detail below is of such a design that the phosphoric acid may be driven oil as soon as it is freed from its compounds and led out of the reaction zone without being forced to pass through the green charge thus a saving in fuel is accomplished and the reduction of phosphoric acid to phosphorus is avoided. Moreever, the necessity of forcing the gaseousv products through a column of relatively fine material is'obviated.

Referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this spec1fication,inwhich the figure is a vertical sectional view of up paratus built in accordance with our inven tion, A is the charging bell, which is of the conventional desi I blast furnaces. is a chamber (built'of or lined with some refractory material, G), into which the roper proportions of material are charged for the smelting operation.

ordinarily employ d f This chamber is constructed at b in order that the charge may not work down through the shaft too rapidly. The lower end of t e charge chamber, B, is some distance above the hearth or base of the furnace, the walls, 0, of said chamber being sup rted oh piers or arches not shown in the gure. D is a table or platform having a sloping top for receiving the materials as they are continuously discharged from the chamber, B. E are twyers' for playing hot or cold blasts on the partially fused material on the latform, D. The slag thus formed runs 0 the table on the hearth, F, and is withdrawn from time to time through the tap hole, G. Surrounding the charge chamber, B, is the outer fume chamber, H, into which rise the volatile products of the reactions taking place dation of these fumesmay be efleeted in the upper part of the chamber, H, by the introduction of further quantities of air through the openings, I. Finally the oxidized prod- .ucts are withdrawn through the exit pipe,

shape, proportion, and minor details of constructlon may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. A blast furnace for producing phosphoric acid provided with an inner or charge chamber surrounded by, but discharging into, an outer chamber, means for introducing air into said outer chamber for burning and smelting the charge entering said chamber from the inner or charge chamber, and means for withdrawing the products of the reaction from the outer chamber, substantiallg as described.

2. A last furnace for producing phosphoric acid provided with an inner or charge chamber surrounded by, but discharging into, an outer chamber, a platformbelow the charge chamber for receiving the discharge from the same, means for introducing air into said outer chamber for burning and smelting the charge upon the said platform, and means forwithdrawing the products of the reaction from the outer chamber, substantially as described.

3. A blast furnace for producing phosphoric acid provided with an inner or charge chamber surrounded by, but discharging into, an outer chamber, a platform below the charge chamber for receiving the discharge from the same, means for introducing air into said outer chamber for burning and smelting the charge upon said platform, means for introducing a further quantity of air into the upper part of the outer cham-- her in order to oxidize further the volatile products of the reactions, and means for withdrawing the products of the reaction from the outer chamber, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. WAGGAMAN. HARRY BRYAN. CARY R. WAGNER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. FRY, Ronen'r F. Gunmen. 

